Flawed economic review could impact turtle designation plan

By Kate Elizabeth Queram - Wilmington StarNews

Published: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 06:11 PM.

Around two dozen residents and elected officials attended to comment on the proposal, as well as a related economic analysis estimating that application and enforcement of the offshore habitat designation would cost roughly $750,000 over 10 years.

Most costs would be related to federally permitted projects, including dredging and beach nourishment. But that sum is tied to increased expenditures at the federal level, and may not take into account the cost to affected municipalities already bracing for federal funding cuts to dredging projects, said Layton Bedsole, shore protection coordinator for New Hanover County.

“Many projects are underfunded or not becoming authorized. Local governments are having to pick up the slack,” he said. “I’m afraid we are going to spend significant room occupancy tax dollars to get a government stamp of approval for what we’ve been implementing for two decades or more.”

Potential changes to the permit process for dredging and nourishment were a major concern for beach town officials, who noted that replenished beaches are necessary for both local tourism and the health of the loggerheads in question.

“We would hate to see what appears to be something the federal government is doing to help the loggerhead sea turtle actually hurt it more than it helps them,” said Harry Simmons, mayor of Caswell Beach. “North Carolina has successful management programs in place.”

But proponents of the measure argued that ponying up the local funding could be considered an investment in protecting the species, as well as helping mitigate ongoing harmful interactions between humans and sea turtles.

“I took a hook out of a turtle’s mouth this morning. This is a very routine thing,” said Emily Christiansen, a zoological medicine resident at N.C. State University. “I’m not saying the regulations proposed are going to fix those problems. They’re not, for the most part. However, I don’t think there’s any debate that these turtles are using the habitat that’s in consideration here.”

A flawed economic impact statement attached to a habitat designation proposal for endangered sea turtles could up the cost of dredging and nourishment projects, area residents said at a public hearing Monday.

“The whole economic review is kind of flawed, in our opinion,” said Kure Beach Commissioner David Heglar. “Assessing the paperwork impact of this doesn’t count the direct and indirect cumulative effects.”

The hearing allowed members of the public to give comments on a recent proposal of critical habitat designation for loggerhead sea turtles, released by the National Marine Fisheries Service. A second hearing was held Tuesday in Morehead City.

Thirty-six areas throughout the Northwest Atlantic Ocean were named in the proposal, including parcels of water identified as reproductive and overwintering areas adjacent to a handful of area beaches — among them, Bogue Banks, Bear Island, Onslow Beach, Topsail Island and Lea-Huttaf Islands. Each area extends roughly 1 mile from shore, according to Susan Pultz, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Protected Resources.

The hearings were separate from previous meetings held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding critical habitat proposals for nesting areas on shore, including 68 miles of coastline in southeastern North Carolina. Monday’s hearing, held by the National Marine Fisheries Service, focused on the proposal relating to waters used by loggerheads for migratory and mating purposes, among other things.

If adopted, the offshore designation could affect a host of marine activities, including dredging, the construction of terminal groins and offshore wind farms, bridge maintenance and fisheries management, according to federal documents.

Around two dozen residents and elected officials attended to comment on the proposal, as well as a related economic analysis estimating that application and enforcement of the offshore habitat designation would cost roughly $750,000 over 10 years.

Most costs would be related to federally permitted projects, including dredging and beach nourishment. But that sum is tied to increased expenditures at the federal level, and may not take into account the cost to affected municipalities already bracing for federal funding cuts to dredging projects, said Layton Bedsole, shore protection coordinator for New Hanover County.

“Many projects are underfunded or not becoming authorized. Local governments are having to pick up the slack,” he said. “I’m afraid we are going to spend significant room occupancy tax dollars to get a government stamp of approval for what we’ve been implementing for two decades or more.”

Potential changes to the permit process for dredging and nourishment were a major concern for beach town officials, who noted that replenished beaches are necessary for both local tourism and the health of the loggerheads in question.

“We would hate to see what appears to be something the federal government is doing to help the loggerhead sea turtle actually hurt it more than it helps them,” said Harry Simmons, mayor of Caswell Beach. “North Carolina has successful management programs in place.”

But proponents of the measure argued that ponying up the local funding could be considered an investment in protecting the species, as well as helping mitigate ongoing harmful interactions between humans and sea turtles.

“I took a hook out of a turtle’s mouth this morning. This is a very routine thing,” said Emily Christiansen, a zoological medicine resident at N.C. State University. “I’m not saying the regulations proposed are going to fix those problems. They’re not, for the most part. However, I don’t think there’s any debate that these turtles are using the habitat that’s in consideration here.”